The Babel Text in Obrenje

Written 2002 by Christian Thalmann <cinga(at)gmx(dot)net>
 
 

Preface:
 

Words linked by phonetic liaison are written as one word in the
pronunciation lines.  I'm using the X-SAMPA wildcard /#/ for the
voiceless schwa /@_0/, which is often realised as an aspiration of
the preceding consonant, or omitted altogether.

A version of this text written in native Obrenje script can be found
at <http://catharsis.netpeople.ch/langmaking/babelincirnaja.gif>.
 

Popular notation:
 

1)   Bla nae xin mu se zyna a ring nian.
2)   A nuc txe blije iorung pri ru'al, sigo iohan ro xine xinar
     a cicerdo ties.
3)   A jyn nasei i laie: "O haije u gunno a froxxeje e."  A mu
     ie gunno u chare a golan u gunet.
4)   A jynu: "O ne gunje u cerde a varos chome ci anis, a ne o
     hexxeje i rena bla txe tajje u brazix roi nise beie."
5)   A dunnuc mali bla cela i cered a varoxe bi gunu pinal.
6)   A jyn mali: "Xetas, se naia moe, a se zyna cote.  Ti
     cihoie, lom bixi u na bi vicce.
7)   "Dunegje a tamihteje i em zyna bla txe tatxene i niane ur
     nim laie."
8)   A ie bra'u mali pri xetas ci nise beie, a prigunut cered.
9)   Ti vetre renade u Bable, tetre xetas tamihto mali i zynae
     ur nise beie, a pri xetas pinal brazeu roi nice beie.
 

Linguistic notation and pronunciation:
 

1)   Bla nae sin mu ce xyna a riq njan.
     /bla na: Sin mM s# "zy:na a riN njan/

2)   A nuk tse blize joruq pri ruxal, cigo jocan ro sine sinar a
     kikerdo tjes.
     /a nMk tS# bli:Z jO"rMN pri rM"al "si:gO jO"han rO Si:n Si"nar a
     ki"kErdO tjEs/

3)   A zyn nacej i laje. "O cajze u gunno a frosseze e."  A mu je
     gunno u kcare a golan u gunet.
     /a Zyn na"sej i la:j  O "hajZM gMnnO a frOS"Se:Ze  a mM j@
     "gMnnO M "k_ha:ra gO"lan M gM"nEt/

4)   A zynu. "O ne gunze u kerde a varos kcome ki anis, a ne o
     chesseze i rena bla tse tazze u braxish roj nice beje."
     /a "Zy:nM   O n@ "gMnZM "kErda va"rOs k_ho:m ki a"nis a nO
     h@S"Se:Zi "re:na bla tS# "taZZM bra"ziS rOj ni:s# "be:j/

5)   A dunnuk mali bla kela i kered a varose bi gunu pinal.
     /a dMn"nMk "ma:li bla "ke:la i k@"rEd a va"ro:S# bi "gu:nM pi"nal/

6)   A zyn mali. "Setas, ce naja moe, a ce xyna kote.  Ti
     kicoje, lom bisi u na bi vikke."
     /a zyn "ma:li  "Stas   s# "na:ja mo: a s# "zy:na ko:t#  ti
     ki"ho:j  lOm "bi:Si M na bi "vikk#/

7)   "Dunnegze a tamicteze i em xyna bla tse tatsene i njane ur
     nim laje."
     /dMn"nEgZa tamiC"te:Zim "zy:na bla tS# ta"tSe:ni "nja:nur
     nim la:j/

8)   A je braxu mali pri setas ki nice beje, a prigunut kered.
     /a j@ "bra:M "ma:li priS"tas ki "ni:c# "be:ja prigM"nMt k@"rEd/

9)   Ti vetre renade u Bable, tetre setas tamicto mali i
     xynae ur nice beje, a pri setas pinal braxew roj nice beje.
     /ti "ve:tr@ r@"na:dM "ba:bl@ "te:tr@S"tas ta"miCtO "ma:li i
     zy"na: ur "ni:s# be:j a priS"tas pi"nal bra"zEw rOj "ni:s# be:j/
 

Interlinear:
 

1)   Bla  nae    sin   mu         ce     xyna        a    riq  njan.
     For  all:d  land  be:PST:3e  one:i  language:i  and  few  word

     "For all lands there was one language and few words."
 

2)   A    nuk            tse  blize     joruq              pri
     And  happen:PST:3e  TSE  when_REL  travel:PST:LIQ:3i  from

     ruxal,   cigo         jocan    ro  sine    sinar    a
     east:i,  find:PST:3i  plain:i  in  land_d  Shin`ar  and

     kikerdo           tjes.
     ICP:dwell:PST:3i  there.

     "And it happened when they were traveling from the east that they
     found a plain in the land of Shin`ar, and they settled there."
 

3)   A zyn              nacej  i    laje.     "O    cajze   u
     And  speak:PST:3e  each   OBJ  fellow:d   OPT  make:1  PRE

     gunno    a    frosseze  e.".        A    mu         je
     brick:i  and  burn:1    PER:3:OBJ   and  be:PST:3e  PER:3:OBJ

     gunno    u    kcare    a    golan   u    gunet.
     brick:i  PRE  stone:i  and  clay:i  PRE  mortar:i.

     "And each said to his fellow: 'Let us make bricks and burn them.'
     And to them brick was stone and clay was mortar."
 

4)   A    zynu.         "O    ne           gunze    u    kerde
     And  speak:PST:3i   OPT  PER:RFL:OBJ  build:1  PRE  town:i

     a    varos    kcome      ki  anis,  a    ne           o    chesseze
     and  tower:i  stand:PTC  to  sky:d  and  PER:RFL:OBJ  OPT  create:1

     i    rena    bla  tse  tazze  u    braxish              roj
     OBJ  name:i  for  TSE  not:1  PRE  scatter:FUT:PSV:PTC  through

     nice     beje."
     whole:d  world:d

     "And they said: 'Let us build for ourselves a town and a tower
     standing up to the sky and make a name for ourselves, lest we be
     scattered across the whole world."
 

5)   A    dunnuk          mali     bla  kela     i    kered   a
     And  descend:PST:3e  Goddess  for  see:GND  OBJ  town:d  and

     varose   bi       gunu          pinal.
     tower:d  REL:OBJ  build:PST:3e  people:d

     "And Goddess descended to see the town and the tower that the
     people had built."
 

6)   A    zyn           mali.   "Setas,  ce     naja       moe
     And  speak:PST:3e  Goddess   yonder  one:i  society:i  be:3i

     a    ce     xyna        kote.     Ti    kicoje,
     and  one:i  language:i  have:3i   this  ICP:do:PST:3i

     lom           bisi        u    na     bi       vikke."
     consequently  can:FUT:3i  PRE  all:i  REL:OBJ  plan:3i

     "And Goddess said: 'Behold, they are one society and have one
     language.  This they have begun doing, from now on they will be
     able to do all they plan to do."
 

7)   "Dunnegze      a    tamicteze        i    em     xyna        bla
     Descend:FUT:1  and  NEG:order:FUT:1  OBJ  POS:3  language:i  for

     tse  tatsene                i    njane   ur  nim      laje."
     TSE  NEG:understand:FUT:3e  OBJ  word:d  of  POS:RFL  fellow:d

     "'I shall descend and confuse their language so that they will
     not understand each other's words."
 

8)   A    je         braxu           mali     pri   setas   ki
     And  PER:3:OBJ  scatter:PST:3e  Goddess  from  yonder  to

     nice     beje,     a    prigunut              kered.
     whole:d  world:d   and  CES:build:PST:PSV:3e  town:d

     "And Goddess scattered them from yonder across the whole world,
     and they stopped building the city."
 

9)   Ti    vetre  renade       u    Bable,  tetre    setas
     This  why    name:PSV:3i  PRE  Babel   because  yonder

     tamicto           mali     i    xynae       ur  nice     beje,
     NEG:order:PST:3e  Goddess  OBJ  language:d  of  whole:d  world:d

     a    pri   setas   pinal     braxew          roj      nice
     and  from  yonder  people:d  scatter:PST:3i  through  whole:d

     beje.
     world:d

     "Therefore it is called Babel, because there Goddess confused
     the language of the whole world, and from there She scattered
     them across the whole world."
 

Abbreviations:

OBJ   objective case
PRE   predicative case
d     definite
i     indefinite
PER   personal pronoun
POS   possessive pronoun
RFL   reflexive
REL   relative
1     1st person
2     2nd person
3     3rd person
3i    3rd person, implicit subject
3e    3rd person, explicit subject
PTC   participle
GND   gerund
PST   past
FUT   future
OPT   optative
ICP   inceptive
CES   cessative
NEG   negative
PSV   passive
LIQ   liquid aspect
TSE   generic subordinate clause marker
 

Written 2002 by Christian Thalmann <cinga(at)gmx(dot)net>